A family flees Rafah A family flees Rafah  (AFP or licensors)

Israel orders more evacuations from Rafah

The Israeli military has ordered more residents of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to leave neighbourhoods east of the city.

By Nathan Morley

On Saturday, residents were instructed to head to al-Mawasi, a zone between the west of Rafah and Khan Younis. The UN says more than 80,000 people have taken flight from Rafah this week, after Israel cautioned people to evacuate ahead of a planned major offensive.

Sam Rose from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees says the area has no running water or proper sanitation. He said the latest evacuation is ‘extremely concerning’.

Rafah, crammed with more than a million evacuated Palestinians, has been facing a dreadful humanitarian crisis due to the lack of basic supplies, including water, food, electricity, and medicines.

On Friday, United Nations agencies highlighted the severe crisis in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. The organization urged all parties involved to guarantee civilian crossings and the flow of necessary goods for the civilian population.

UN Resolution

In a separate development, the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member.

The resolution was accepted with 143 votes in favour and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries refrained from voting.

Listen to Nathan Morley's report

 

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11 May 2024, 16:51